Mailbag: How Will Free Agent Pickups Affect The Draft?

Thursday, April 04, 2013 6:00 AM CDT

STEVEN CRAIGLAS VEGAS, NVWith the two free agents just signed, how do you think that will affect the first three or four picks in the draft?

Bryan: I don’t believe it will affect it at all. The club still brought safeties and linebackers in for pre-draft visits. These players have high grades and most likely will be selected early. There is a strong belief that they need to add talented football players and what happened to them last season with all the injuries on defense only strengthened those beliefs. I learned a long time ago when dealing with the draft, if you feel like you are okay at a position, go ahead and add another player to that group, it only makes you better.

Rowan: It won’t. The only thing it could do is possibly make them wait a round or two longer to grab someone at one of those positions, but I don’t seeing it affecting much. The team still desperately needs some young offensive linemen and could use another safety to compete for a starting job. Justin Durant and Will Allen can also compete for those jobs at linebacker and safety, respectively. But if the Cowboys burn a first or a second on a safety, let’s expect that player to start.

SEAN GREENBALTIMORE, MDIs it smart to pull the trigger on Kenny Vaccaro with the first pick considering we have two young kids coming back this season?

Bryan:Will Allen gives you a nice safety net in case there are struggles at the position, but by selecting Vaccaro you are getting a safety that could play single high or off the hash. You are getting a safety that can cover in the slot if needed and is physical enough to handle those tight ends that teams like to flex now. You get a player that can tackle and is also physical in the red zone. I know there are plenty of questions about

Church’s health and really what you have in Johnson but adding the most skilled safety in the draft is not a bad thing when you have questions.

Rowan: I still think the pertinent need is on the offensive line, and there are five legitimate options on the line that are first-round talents. Nothing against Vaccaro, but I’d shore that up first, because with Jonathan Cyprien, Eric Reid and Matt Elam, there are other options by waiting for the second or third rounds. Read